I finished this painting in July 2024 … there always seemed something rather rigid about it, the colour of the little girls dress was white because I was unable to find a reference of a girl in a red dress that I wanted to base her on, and my lack of confidence restrained me from taking a risk and having a go with the red paint regardless. Two years on in April 2026, I decided not to paint anything so as to free my time up, as I had allocated myself a month to prepare a talk for a Women’s Aglow meeting where I was the guest speaker. However, my fingers were itching to get the paints out, so to pacify this urge I decided to practice on this painting … I mean it was literally just ‘hanging’ around! I was amazed at how my confidence and skill had progressed over time. I changed the colour of her dress, the sky, the grass and the lion … at last I felt it looked like what I had in mind and a sense of release came. To crown the moment I took it to the Aglow meeting, and used it to encourage others of God’s love and protection for them.
So just like the process of the painting, our journey starts somewhere with our Lord, and can end up looking very different over time, because during it we progress and gain confidence in the relationship. The little girl and the lion had been walking the road together and there is the smallest gate to the right of the painting where they had entered the field, which is a green pasture where they take their rest. The white lion portrays God as our protector, watching out whilst we relax, he is steady, chilled, yet powerful when stirred; the little girl is innocent and absorbed with the beauty of the flowers, trusting in the faithfulness of her companion. Who would ever think that such a grand, royal and fierce being was so gentle and kind as to walk with us, who are so fail in comparison … yet He does!.
